Last June the BIP team, as part of Full Service Schools, ran a cooking course at Filsham Valley School. The course was a great success with the participants asking for more courses in the future, "I just enjoyed everything" was a comment made by one student. To see more pictures click here to follow the link to the Gallery in the Student section of our website.

A new 6 week course starts on October 3rd.

The Excellence Cluster is once again running its popular Attendance Challenge in schools. All 27 schools were contacted and 21 have decided to participate.

The challenge runs from September to December 2006. Schools decide who to target and whether to reward 100% or most improved attendance.

Presentations will be arranged in January 2007, and where possible, local dignitaries will be invited to attend. Pupils will be presented with personalised certificates and WHS vouchers.

The last round of the Challenged was highly successful with 842 certificates being handed out across 18 schools.

The Behaviour Improvement Programme has been developed to support young people who have been excluded from identified schools.
The Excellence Cluster's BIP Co-ordinator and Inclusion Officers liaise with the schools, agencies, parents and young people to offer them support and tuition for up to 15 days of their exclusion and work towards the student returning to full time education.
During their exclusion students will receive education at a number of venues in Hastings and St Leonards. They will work 1-1 or in small groups with Basic Skills Tutors and Learning Assistants.
Their day will be structured to include core curriculum subject work and any work set by the school, project work and physical activities as well as drama, art, cookery or gardening.
As part of the on-going support offered to students, BIP will try to identify activities that may be of interest to the young person and source local provision or look to set up courses in conjunction with the Basic Skills Tutors and other agencies. Currently BIP has an accredited Arts project running which will offer students the opportunity to experience a number of different arts mediums, including painting, sculpting and photography. We also offer a Gardening project, at the Choice Allotments, every Wednesday afternoon.
From October 2006, there will be a 6 week drama group for boys at The Bridge in Priory Road.

BIP has been fortunate enough to secure 8 places on the latest LIFE course, funded by the Safer Hastings Partnership and run at Bexhill Fire Station.
Students who attended last years course enjoyed it and they, and their parents, could not praise it enough. Chris Brandon, 12, said “It has been great. I want to do it again” (Camilla Lake, Hastings & St Leonards Observer).
Project Co-ordinator George Wippich said that he felt that the course, which gave young people the opportunity to learn about team work, discipline and achievement as well as giving an understanding of the implications of fire and it’s devastating effects on peoples lives, ”gave teenagers the opportunity and skills to take control of their lives and decide their own futures”